2023-24 Big Ten Women's Basketball Previews Hub
All 14 team previews in one place heading into the new season
The regular season is now three weeks away, but we were given a taste of how exciting this season is going to be this past weekend.
On Sunday, Iowa played an exhibition against DePaul in the Crossover at Kinnick, the first ever women’s basketball game to be played outdoors in a football stadium. Iowa won the game 94-72, Caitlin Clark had a 34-point triple double, and the Hawkeyes set a NCAA single game record for most attended in women’s basketball history (55,646).
It was a fitting level of spectacle to kick off such an exciting year for this conference. Over the past few months, I’ve written to you about each and every team in the Big Ten, all of which have players to be excited about and reasons to watch them.
This post is not a ton of new information for you. Instead, it is a one-stop shop for all 14 previews, linked in the team names below, along with summaries on why I think each team is interesting this season. They are listed in the order I believe they will finish in the Big Ten standings. If your favorite team is listed too low, don’t worry, I’m always wrong.
With just 21 days separating us from opening tip-off, here’s the Hoopla schedule until then:
10/23 - Nothing. I will be in Ohio this weekend, and am resting to prepare for myself for regular season posts, as well as…
10/30 - Hoopla 40. This will be my ranking of the 40 best players in the conference. They will be based on my projection, and it is my favorite thing to make on this newsletter. I do them three times a year, most recently at the end of last season.
11/6 - What to Watch in Week One. Simple enough, a look at the best games at the start of the non-conference schedule. It’s exciting to even consider writing this, because it means we are that close to games.
Alright anyway, here is the 2023-24 Previews Hub:
14.) Northwestern
2022-23 Big Ten Rank: 14th
The Wildcats struggled in their first year without Veronica Burton, and have lost two more key veterans heading into this season. Joe McKeown has found lightning in a bottle before, and this season is about finding the new faces to bring Northwestern back to where they were just a few seasons ago.
13.) Wisconsin
2022-23 Big Ten Rank: 10th
Wisconsin improved marginally in year two of the Marisa Moseley, but lost one of the key cogs in their build when Maty Wilke transferred to Utah. A big freshman class brings some excitement, and Serah Williams had flashes of brilliance in her first year, but the Badgers are left replacing a lot of production once again.
12.) Rutgers
2022-23 Big Ten Rank: 11th
Rutgers managed to do the impossible last year by making an eight-player roster work, and the result was a significant amount of minutes for Coquese Washington to see what she had. Almost the entire roster returns, and Washington brought in some nice adds through the portal. It might not be enough to return the Scarlet Knights to the level they once were, but this program is moving in the right direction.
11.) Minnesota
2022-23 Big Ten Rank: 13th
Dawn Plitzuweit takes over for Lindsay Whalen as head coach, and she retains most of the key cogs to last year’s team, including star guard Mara Braun. This is Braun’s year to prove she’s the star that can take this team to new heights. This roster has solid returning talent at the top, along with eight exciting new faces. If it all meshes early under the new head coach, it could be an Illinois-type situation for the second straight year.
10.) Michigan State
2022-23 Big Ten Rank: 9th
Another team with a new head coach, this one being Robyn Fralick. She inherits a Spartans team that was far better than their record indicated. The analytics had Michigan State as a top-60 team, but there’s certainly some turnover for this current roster to deal with. DeeDee Hagemann is still here, though, and this feels like the year she might truly break out.
9.) Penn State
2022-23 Big Ten Rank: 12th
The Nittany Lions have been a frustrating team the past few seasons, never quite reaching the potential their roster seemed to possess. The big three of Makenna Marisa, Leilani Kapinus and Shay Ciezki was established last season and will be back for one more go. They are joined by Ashley Owusu, a former All-American who, if she can find her Maryland form, can lead this roster to incredible things. Regardless if those heights are reached, Penn State will be a team worth watching all season.
8.) Purdue
2022-23 Big Ten Rank: 7th
Katie Geralds has brought this program back to life, and was rewarded with an NCAA Tournament appearance last season. Five of the top seven players from last year return, and they are joined by six exciting freshmen and a pair of transfers. It’s an interesting blend of old and new that could create a whole lot of fireworks if it comes together.
7.) Nebraska
2022-23 Big Ten Rank: 8th
The Cornhuskers underperformed after a brilliant 2021-22 campaign, but the roster stayed together in a big way this offseason, not losing a single player to the transfer portal. That cohesion, plus exciting new faces headlined by transfer Darian White and freshman Logan Nissley, gives me plenty of hope that a bounce back is in the cards, even with the recent season-ending injury to Allison Wiedner.
6.) Michigan
2022-23 Big Ten Rank: 5th
Head coach Kim Barnes Arico has kept the Wolverines in the upper echelon of the Big Ten for awhile now, but this year will be a major test without Leigha Brown, Emily Kiser and Maddie Nolan. Fortunately for her, Laila Phelia feels like a superstar in the making, and plenty of previous depth pieces are back to take on larger roles. There are some high-, high-value prospects waiting to come into this program in 2024, but the Wolverines are still a NCAA Tournament team until then.
5.) Illinois
2022-23 Big Ten Rank: 6th
I predicted the Illini to finish in dead last a season ago, then they went to the NCAA Tournament. Shauna Green got Illinois into the winning ways early and never really stopped, even in the difficult Big Ten slate. Ten of last year’s 13 players — including the top six in win shares — are all back, and with them comes two more transfers from top ACC schools. Regression is always possible, but nothing here tells me Illinois will do that.
4.) Maryland
2022-23 Big Ten Rank: 3rd
Losing Diamond Miller and Abby Meyers is a lot, but not missing a step after losing significant production is something Brenda Frese is a master at. Shyanne Sellers is this team’s next clear star, and she seems more than capable of taking that on. A trio of fifth-year players will ease that weight, as will incoming five-star Riley Nelson. This Maryland roster has a lot to prove by Frese standards, but it’s still packed with plenty of talent.
3.) Indiana
2022-23 Big Ten Rank: 1st
Last year’s regular season champs had a tough March, falling in dramatic fashion three different times to end the year on a low. That should all be fuel to the fire for this roster still absolutely loaded with talent, led by Mackenzie Holmes, one of the best players in the country. Seven of Indiana’s top eight players from last year return, but replacing that one departure — Grace Berger — will not be an easy task. If I were to wager a guess? Look for Yarden Garzon to go from excellent sharpshooter to a cold-blooded assassin in year two, you have been warned.
2.) Ohio State
2022-23 Big Ten Rank: 4th
It is hard to argue against Ohio State having the best overall roster in the Big Ten. Every key contributor outside of Taylor Mikesell is back, including Cotie McMahon, who looked every bit like a Capital-S Superstar by the end of her freshman year. In case the Buckeyes weren’t annoying enough defensively, they also added ACC Defensive Player of the Year Celeste Taylor, as well as a sneaky great in-conference get of Taiyier Parks. This roster is deep, it’s talented, and it will press you into a fine paste.
1.) Iowa
2022-23 Big Ten Rank: 2nd
The Hawkeyes were the Big Ten’s first team in the national championship game since 2005, and they return a solid chunk of talent from last year’s roster. That, of course, is led by National Player of the Year Caitlin Clark, the sport’s largest collegiate superstar who has the talent to do historic things on any given night. Clark alone can get Iowa very far, but her returning cast took a hit by losing Monika Czinano and McKenna Warnock. Replacing them will be tough, but Clark can elevate whoever she plays around, and there are plenty of key pieces that do come back that make it easier. Iowa absolutely can get back to where they were in 2022-23, and they remain the Big Ten favorites, but just barely over both the Buckeyes and Hoosiers.
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